Stuttgart, Germany, Mar. 10, 2016: There’s a new entrant in the Cloud space and it is the traditional German industrial house, Bosch.
Bosch is launching its own Cloud for Web-based services. It said in a press release that the first Cloud will be located in Germany. In the Bosch IoT Cloud, the international supplier of technology services runs various applications for its connected mobility, connected industries, and connected buildings businesses.
“As of today, we offer all the ace cards for the connected world from a single source. The Bosch IoT Cloud is the final piece of the puzzle that completes our software expertise. We are now a full service provider for connectivity and the internet of things,” said Bosch Chief Executive Officer Volkmar Denner at the Bosch ConnectedWorld conference in Berlin on Wednesday.
Bosch was the only company worldwide that is active on all three levels of the internet of things. The Bosch Group offered key technologies that enabled connectivity such as sensors and software, and is also developing new services on this basis. “A major factor in the success of connected solutions is their scalability. Business models must be able to grow quickly when necessary. The Bosch IoT Cloud means Bosch now has the relevant infrastructure. We see this as a major milestone for Bosch,” said Denner, who is also responsible for research and advance engineering on the Bosch board of management.
The Bosch IoT Cloud comprised technical infrastructure as well as platform and software offerings. To begin with, the supplier of technology and services will use it for in-house solutions. From 2017, it will also be made available as a service to other companies.
Denner stressed that it was a conscious decision to locate the Cloud in Germany. “Many companies and consumers state that security concerns keep them from using cloud technologies and connectivity solutions. The Bosch IoT Cloud is the answer to those concerns.” Bosch operates its IoT cloud in its own computing center near Stuttgart.
The brain of the connected world: the Bosch IoT Suite
The software core of the Bosch IoT Cloud was the company’s own IoT Suite. It identified any objects that were web-enabled, orchestrated the exchange of data, and enabled a multitude of services and business models. Rules for automatic decisions could be stored in the Bosch IoT Suite – such as when patterns of wear and tear should be reported and preventive action taken to service machinery.
Speaking to the conference’s 800 delegates, Denner stressed that this digital transformation should not be understood as a threat. “Digital transformation and increasing connectivity are huge opportunities for us.
In particular, it offers those companies with a strong industrial base and outstanding hardware expertise the potential not only to develop their traditional businesses but also to enter completely new fields.”
Image Credit: Bosch